The Aussies, who have yet to name their squad, will surely again look to such names as Shane Watson - who scored their most runs with 418 - Ryan Harris and Peter Siddle in a bid to reverse their woeful performance in the summer.

With recalls for Monty Panesar and Chris Tremlett, England will be confident of continuing their good form - and celebrating Christmas and New Year in style with another memorable win.

There are no places for Tim Bresnan or Graham Onions in the 17-man squad.

When does it start?

The first of the five tests begins at the wonderfully-named The Gabba, in Brisbane, on November 21. It moves on to the Adelaide Oval on December 5, before heading west to Perth and the WACA Ground. Boxing Day sees the fourth test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the fifth test, from January 3, is at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Kevin Pietersen feels he's never had the acclaim he deserves. The South African-born batsman notched up 388 runs in the first of the back-to-back Ashes series . If he can maintain his excellent play, the plaudits will surely be queuing up.

Panesar is a man with much to prove. It has been more than seven years since his debut against India and the spinner will be looking to be an Ashes winner for the third time, following success in 2009 and 2011.

Aussie David Warner, suspended for the start of the first test after he punched England's Joe Root on a night out, will need to show the home fans he is worthy of redemption. He may be a quick-scoring batsman, but Warner has not achieved a test match century for nearly a year.

Why are the two Ashes series so close together? The authorities decided to take it Down Under, just three months after the end of the series in England, because, since 1999, every Ashes in Australia was held immediately before the Cricket World Cup.

Where can the series be watched? Sky Sports 2 HD was re-branded to Sky Sports Ashes HD during the summer and will do the same again for all the action in Oz.

Fun facts:

The Brisbane Cricket Ground, affectionately known as The Gabba, is named after the suburb of Woolloongabba, where it is located.

Cricket runs in England star Joe Root's blood. His grandfather Geoff played in the Yorkshire League for many years, while his father Matt played for Sheffield Collegiate.